Sulphur burner



Oct. 18, 1932. J w STEVENS 1,883,063

SULPHUR BURNER Filed March 24. 1930 Patented Oct. 18, 1932 UNITED STATES JERRY W. STEVENS, OF CLOQUET, MINNESOTA SULPHUR BURNER Application filed March 24, 1930, Serial No. 438,296.

The present invention relates to sulphur burners, having particular reference to one for burning free sulphur, and one of the rotary type.

Among the various kinds of burners are the cast iron heads is necessary. The cast iron is more durable in sulphur burners than the wrought iron. r

In that type of burner, the combustion takesplace only on the interior of the shell, and accordingly the combustion surface is limited. The shell is unduly long andlarge for its capacity in order'to provide suflicient surface. V

The present invention has for an object the provision of a compact, efiicient, sulphur burner, with a large combustion surface, which consumes a minimum of power, and which is smooth and quiet in operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a burner in which the combustion surfaces may be provided by cast iron parts, in order to prolong the life of the burner.

Still another object of the inventionis to provide a construction which in operation permits limiting the supply of melted sulphur which is carried within the burner proper, and which aids in distributing the Fig. 4 is a rotor.

The burner comprises a stationary housing 10, which is preferably cylindrical in form, resting on supports 11 and 12. The casing 55 shown has a tubular body section made preferably of castiron, such as a pipe section. To the ends of the pipe section are secured circular heads 13 and 14, also of cast iron, having concentric circular openings 15 and 16 5-. therein. Extending through theopenings 15 and 16 is a hollow rotor which on the inside of the housing is suitably open, as by perforations, to provide communication between the space inside the rotor and the annular space between the rotor and the casing. The rotor is preferably of larger diameter than the openings 15 and 16, and comprises a cylindrical tube, such as a cast ironpipe section 17 into which numerous holes 18 "have been drilled. The ends of the pipe section are modified form of fin on the closed, supported by, and extended by means of tubular headers 19and 20 of lesser diameter, which extend through the openings 15 and 16 for support from outside the housing. 7 As will appear hereinafter, one end of the apparatus is the 0001 end, and theother end is a hot end. At the hot end, where hot sulphur gases are discharged,'the rotor supporting means is adapted to avoid effects of the 0 heat from the rotating parts. Hence, the extension header 19 has on its neck-portion 19 a spoked wheel 21 of considerable diameter, resting on trunnions 22 and 23 carried by brackets 24 attached to thesupport 11. The 5. end of the header 19 is capped with a flanged collar 25 which is adjustable longitudinally of the neck jportion'19 to vary a space 26 which normally exists between the collar and the end 27' of a gas conduit 28 registering at r with the collar.

The cool end of the rotor may have a similarsupport, but it is more convenient and economical to provide a collar 30 with a roller surface 31' resting on trunnions 32 and 33 9: mounted on spindles 34 secured in a lug 35 7 cast on the header 14.. The cool end also carries a driving gear 36 for driving chain 37. The end of the rotor header 20 is capped with a damper structure having relatively movloe I able parts 38 and 89 with registering closable damper openings 40 therein. A hand nut 11 tightens the parts in a fixed setting of the damper openings. By this damper air to the interior of the rotor may be controlled.

The top of the housing is covered with a saddle-tank into which sulphur may be piled, and in which it is melted by heat from the burner in operation. A pipe line 46 with avalve 47 connects the tank to the housing by discharging melted sulphur into a cup 48, which drains into the housing through pipe 49. Thus sulphur in melted form may be introduced into the housing to form a pool of sulphur in the bottom thereof.

On theouter surface of the rotor means is provided which extends into the annular space 50 between the rotor and the housing, for the purpose of dipping into the pool of sulphur, for carrying sulphur above the level of the pool and around withthe rotor, and for increasing the area of sulphur exposed for combustion. This means may take Various forms. In order to keep a minimum of liquid sulphur in the housing, and to permit a pool of shallow depth at the bottom of the housing, I prefer to use a helical fin 51 on the rotor. This fin acts upon the pool of sulphur into which it isimmersed by raising some sulphur in the rotation, and also by backing up some of the sulphur in the pool to form a portion with a greater depth in the annular space 50; The pool is preferably backed up toward the hotter end of the burner. Hence the direction of the fin, and the direction of rotation are so related that the sulphur is backed away from the cooler end of the burner. The fin is slightlyspaced from the housing as shown at-52, thereby to permit accumulation of dirt or sludge and to permit the sulphur pool to flow toward the cool end to a limited extent withoutthe backing-up actionr Accordingly, the entire length of the rotor has its fin contacting liquid sulphur at the bottom of the casing, and sufiicient sulphur is picked up to wet the entire length of the rotor with molten sulphur. c

lnFig. 1 a modified form of. rotor is shown in which two fins 54 and 55 are rigidly formed on the rotor at opposite sides. In the rota-' In order to provide and control the supply I ofair to the burner various dampers may be constructed in addition to the damper in'the cool end of the rotor. Considerable combustion takes place in the annular space, so that air may be admitted directly into that space through dampers such as 57, 58 and 59. The latter damper is located at the bottom of the annular space, but slightly raised above the normal level of the sulphur pool.

In operation, free sulphur may be introduced, either solid or melted, into the furnace and combustion started. A supply of sulphur is maintained in the saddle-tank 4:5, in thebottom 01"? which the sulphur melts from the heat of the housing. The flow of the melted sulphur into the housing may be controlled bv the valve 47. The'liquid sulphur is permitted to form a shallow pool in the bottom of the housing. The depth of the pool is such as to maintain in the burner a supply of liquid sulphur, picked up and distributed over the interior by the fin or fins on the rotor. The helicalfin tends to push the pool back toward the hot end, and there increases its depth with the increasein fluidity of the hotter sulphur. Sulphur adheres to the fins and flows over the interior and exterior surfaces of the rotor, dripping through theholes 18, and forming a shower of molten sulphur.

The speed of rotation may control the extent or the showering. The gases swirl about in the burner spaces and eventually fill the interior withburning gases forming sulphur dioxide whichescape through the hot end of the rotor into the conduit 28., Some sulphur may be carried as vaponfrom the burner, and the adjustment of the space 26 permits the entry by suction of sutficientonygen to 7 care for completion of theburning of this sulphur vapor 7 The furnace may be placed horizontally as shown, or it may be slightly tilted to cause the liquid sulphur on the rotor to drain somewhat toward the cooler end of the burner. The fins on the rotor may be increased in number, and the pitch of the helical fin'may be varied to suit the speed of the rotor or the amount of backing up of sulphur which is desired. The rotor may be open by means other than the circular perforations 18 which are shown. Various other changes and modifica'tions and numerous stages of adjustments may be effected without departingfrom the spirit and scope of this invention as expressed in the appended claims;

I claim: I l 1. A sulphur 'burner comprising in combination a closed housing, a hollow rotor in said housing "having its ends extending through the housing, and means outside the housing to support said rotor, the ends of said rotor being open to provide communication to the interior of the: rotor, means to feed sulphur into the-housing, said rotor being perforated within the housing, means to mit air to the housing, and means to carry sulphur gases away from the housing.

2. A sulphur burner comprising in combination a closed housing, a hollow rotor in said housing having an open end projecting from said housing, means outside the housing for supporting said projecting end, said rotor having openings therein to provide communication between the space inside the rotor and the space outside the rotor and in the housing, means to introduce air into said communicating spaces, and means to feed sulphur into the housing.

' 3. In a sulphur burner, a closed housing, a

hollow rotor within said housing having hollow ends projecting from said housing, means outside the housing to support said ends of the rotor, said rotor within the housing being perforated to provide communication between the spaces within and about said rotor. i

l. In a sulphur burner, aclosed housing, a hollow rotor within said housing, means to support said rotor for rotation, said rotor having a discharge end projecting from said housing and having its portion within the housing provided with openings to establish communication between the spaces within and about said rotor.

5. In a: sulphur burner, a closed housing, a hollow rotor in said. housing having a hollow end of reduced diameter projecting from said housing, means to support the rotor for rotation including means outside the housing for supporting the projecting hollow end, said rotor within the housing having openings to provide communication between the spaces within and about the rotor.

6. In a sulphur burner, a. closed housing, a hollow rotor in said housing having hollow ends projecting from said housing, said rotor being enlarged in diameter within the housing and being perforated, and means for sup porting the rotor for rotation.

7. A sulphur burner comprising in combi nation, a closed housing, a hollow perforated rotor within the housing, said rotor having an open hollow end projecting from the housing, means to feed sulphur into the housing, means to admit air to the housing, and means associated with the hollow projecting end for receiving sulphur gases therefrom.

8. A rotary sulphur burner comprising in combination a hollow rotor, means to feed air into one end of said rotor, means to receive hot gases from the other end of the rotor, a stationary housing about a portion of said rotor, said rotor being perforated in the region surrounded by the housing, means to feed sulphur into the housing, and means on the rotor adapted in the rotation of the rotor to pick up sulphur from the stationary housing and supply it to the rotor.

9. In a sulphur burner, in combination, a housing adapted to hold a pool of sulphur, a rotor adapted to rotate on a substantially horizontal axis in said housing and positioned above the pool of sulphur, and a helical fin on the'rotor adapted in the rotation of the rotor to move the sulphur in the housing in the direction of the length of the rotor whereby to increase the depth of the pool in one end of the housing.

10. In a sulphur burner, in combination, a housing adapted to hold a pool of sulphur, a rotor adapted to rotate on a substantially horizontal axis in said housing and positioned above the pool of sulphur, and propelling means on the outside of said rotor positioned to be immersed in said pool and to move sul phur axially of the rotor in the pool in the rotation of the rotor, whereby to increase the depth of the pool in a part of the housing.

11. In a sulphur burner, in combination, a stationary cylindrical housing, a rotor in said housing, each providing within it a space for burning sulphur, a saddle tank on said housing, and a valved connection from said tanl: into the housing for feeding melted sulphur into the housing, and means on the rotor for picking upsulphur from the housing for feed to the rotor.

12. A sulphur burner comprislng in combination, a cylindrical housing, heads for clos- 7 ing the ends of said housing, a hollow cylindrical perforated rotor concentricallymounted in said housing, tubular ends of reduced diameter closing and supporting the ends of said rotor and projecting through said heads of the housing, means to' support said ends for rotation, projecting means on the rotor in the space between the rotor and the housing, a damper in one of the rotor ends for admission-of air, the other tubular end of the rotor providing an outlet for burned gases, and means to feed sulphur into the housing.

13. A sulphur burner comprising in combination, a cylindrical housing, heads for closing the ends of said housing, a hollow cylindrical perforated rotor concentrically mounted in said housing, tubular ends of re duceddiameter closing and supporting the ends or" said rotor and projecting through said heads of the housing, means tosupport said ends for rotation, a helical fin on said rotor in the space between the rotor and the housing, a. damper in one of the rotor ends for admission of air, the other tubular end of the rotor providing an outlet for burned gases, and means to feed sulphur into the housing.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

JERRY w. STEVENS. 

